


Issues

by Hetsez



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: After the GEO ops have joined, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Echo hates Jackal, Echo is an antisocial fat boi, Fuze/Jäger if you squint, Hand Job, I’m sorry if the ending is too lovey-dovey, Jackal just wants to be his fren, M/M, One Shot, Porn With Plot, Tags: Hereford Base, Thank You!, but i love happy endings, slow burn at first but I promise it gets hot, some ops are mentioned but don't actually have a role in this, this story is a present to Sunstark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-05-18 06:35:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14847627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hetsez/pseuds/Hetsez
Summary: After a rather unfortunate first encounter, Echo already hates the new guy, Jackal. But isn't he prejudging the Spaniard? Shouldn't he give him a chance?UPDATE 14/07/2018: Decided to divide the story into two chapters to make it easier to read. Story hasn't been altered!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I dedicate this story to the amazing Sunstark, who sent me their beautiful art for which I'm so so so grateful :3 In return I wrote what I was asked: Jackal/Echo. I have tried to give them a backstory instead of just writing PWP, so I hope it's what you expected ^^ Please enjoy c:
> 
> If you're curious as to what I received from Sunstark: [link](https://twitter.com/hetsez/status/1002902835485396994) (:

Echo smirked behind his face mask. 

The feed his Yokai sent to young Japanese operator showed Ash stalking along the corridor outside his hiding place. On his screen he saw how she crept silently, her gun raised and her footsteps as light as a feather. No one would notice her like this. 

But neither did she notice the hidden drone on the ceiling. Ash was definitely a force to be reckoned with, as fast as a lightening she was, lose your concentration for only a second and she will have stormed into your objective, taking out every enemy swiftly and with ease. No, the American woman should get no further than this. Luckily Echo was confident she would be dealt with quickly. Echo had spotted her, and there was no more escaping for her. He whispered through his comms: “Jäger, stand by...” Echo concentrated hard on the screen in front of him, never once tearing his eyes away from it as he waited for their enemy to get into reach of his drone. When she did, he made his Yokai send a shockwave on Ash, who immediately lost her balance and grabbed her head. She crashed against the wall with her shoulder, desperate to find balance and regain her head. “Now!” 

The faint sound of gunfire. Then a voice over the comms: _Operator Ash taken out by operator Jäger, assisted by operator Echo.”_ Echo grinned satisfactorily as he watched Ash fall to the floor. But then, another burst of gunfire, somewhere off his screen and that same voice over the comms: _Operator Jäger eliminated by operator Jackal._

The smirk vanished from Echo's face, even though it hadn’t even been visible before. His ally had been taken out, and that meant that the enemy was close. The new guy, the Spaniard, was near him now. Echo knew nothing of him. He didn't know how much of threat he was. The Japanese man had been in the workshop when he and his counterpart, Mira, had been introduced to Team Rainbow SIX. He hadn’t bothered to greet them, too focused on upgrading his Yokai, nor had he concerned himself with introducing himself to them in the two days after their arrival and up until now. Hibana, who had been present at their introduction, had told him Jackal was a hunter, a tracker, but Echo was confident his Yokai was faster than any human. And so he sent his drone off to find the attacker, never once looking up from his screen. 

Because why do it yourself when robots do it better? 

Empty corridors. All he found, were empty corridors. No sign of the Spaniard. Echo's eyebrows knitted together above his dark-brown eyes, more in frustration than in worry. The new guy couldn't run from his Yokai forever. Maybe he retreated, out of Yokai’s signal zone. Echo shifted so he could lie in a more comfortable position, and continued his search for the intruder. He lay under a desk, behind his shield in one of the many training facilities of Hereford Base. He was practising an assault with a few of his fellow operators. 

No one would ever find him there; Yokai would find them first. 

The clock started ticking. The attackers only got 5 minutes to secure the area at the start of their practise, and they only had about 1 minute left now. Echo could already smell their victory. His Yokai still scouted around, but he didn’t see any enemy. They had probably given up and waited until their time was over. This was a piece of cake. 

However, Echo was so focused on his drone, he didn’t hear how his fellow teammates were eliminated, one by one. He didn’t even hear there was only one opfor remaining, nor did he realise he was the only defender left. His attention was on the feed on his screen and Yokai hovering around and looking for the enemy. It was tunnel vision, but Echo was convinced his drone did the job better than humans could. 

The cocking of a pistol. The hairs on his skin tingled. His heart stopped momentarily. His eyes widened and he finally snapped out of his concentration. 

He felt a warmth beside him without even looking. 

Echo finally turned his head and took in his surroundings. The barrel of a pistol was the first thing he saw. Attached to it was a gloved hand, a long arm covered by a dark-green jacket and... _Jackal_. 

The Spaniard smirked. It all happened within seconds. 

“Adios.” Jackal simply said and pulled the trigger. Echo couldn't even twitch a muscle. 

_”Operator Echo taken out by operator Jackal. The blue team wins.”_

 

 

Echo got up from his hiding spot. Jackal offered him a hand with a sympathetic smile now, but Echo didn’t take it. How did Yokai not spot him? Why didn’t Rook cover him? 

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced yet. I’m Jackal.” Jackal didn’t let Echo’s distant behaviour offend him. Echo just looked him up and down once, and even though he felt slightly impressed by his height, he didn’t try to look like he was. 

“Echo.” He said as a way to introduce himself. He then proceeded to pick up his shield and collect his drone. No need to gaze at the Spaniard for longer than was needed. He had noticed that morning at breakfast all the females already stared at him long enough as it is. The guy needed no more extra attention. 

“Interesting drone you’ve got there. I saw what it did to Ash. Did you fabricate it yourself?” 

Why was he following him? With his Yokai in his hand, Echo turned around to look at the Spaniard. He had sounded interested, truly interested, and it confused him. Why would a guy like him – good-looking, sporty and adored by all women – be interested in his tech? Echo just made a noise of affirmation while he put his drone away safely. 

“Amazing. That must’ve taken a lot of time.” Jackal replied, excited. 

He wouldn’t leave him alone. Echo sighed, grunted in affirmation again and walked off towards the exit. Jackal followed close behind. 

“Will you show me how it works in the workshop some time?” 

Echo rolled his eyes. Now this guy is going to bother him in the workshop as well? He was already annoyed the new guy bested him, he didn’t really want to spend his free time with him as well. Luckily, Valkyrie provided just the distraction he needed. That wasn't entirely a good thing, though. 

“When will you ever get that thick head of yours off your drone!?” Valkyrie fumed. “We could have won!” 

“Why didn’t Rook cover me?” Echo retorted. He refused to take the blame for their defeat. 

“Jackal tracked me down ages ago, you should have listened to the comms.” Rook grumbled from where he stood chatting with Blitz. The Frenchman shook his head disapprovingly at Echo, who simply shrugged. 

Echo had never really fit in at team Rainbow SIX, ever from the start. He knew he wasn't the friendliest person, and he knew he cared more for his robots than his teammates, but it annoyed the Japanese that the others just refused to see how efficient his skills were. Echo was convinced most of his teammates could easily be replaced by robots if only Six would invest in them. But until that happened, he was stuck with these idiots. And that was until hell freezes over, as Hibana always told him when he confronted her with his frustrations. 

No, don't get him wrong. He was annoyed his teammates didn't understand him; he wouldn't want to wish them any harm. He was mostly irritated by these social people, like Valkyrie or Rook, who just didn't see the beauty of robotics. There were a few people in this base he didn't hate, because they were just as excited about his tech as he was, but still he would only confide in Hibana. She understood him fully and completely, although she would mock him from time to time. 

Somewhere deep inside Echo knew he shouldn't give the new guys such a hard time. He and Hibana had only just arrived at Hereford Base several months ago as well and were also still trying to fit in. However, these two Spanish operators didn't really seem to need the time to fit in. At least, that was Jackal's case. Everybody was already head over heels with him for his cool appearance, apparent good looks and experience on the battlefield. Sure, he had spent a few years more in the game that we call life than Echo, but really, was Jackal actually that great or were people blinded by him? If anything, Echo didn't understand what all the fuss was about. 

“You did very well Jackal, for your first time here.” IQ beamed at him. 

Jackal thanked her politely, making IQ giggle. Echo snorted and walked off while everybody was distracted by the Spaniard. Echo already disliked him. 

 

 

Joining the others in the communal living room that evening after dinner had been a mistake. 

Echo tried to read his book, a guide to advanced electronics he had only just bought off Amazon, in the way too noisy room. The living room was fairly large, but with 30 of them, the noise often got out of hand. On one side, there were the people who were holding conversations at a decent volume – Blitz, Montagne and Doc were discussing whatever issue Echo was not interested in, Thatcher was recounting one of his memories to a very bored-looking Mute and Smoke, Twitch and Jäger had joined the Russians who were supposedly having a sophisticated conversation and Kapkan and Frost were in a heated debate on which one of the two trappers was more useful (a discussion Bandit watched eagerly, all that was missing was a box of popcorn). But on the other side, there were the loud people. They were laughing, talking and playing cards. And to make matters even worse, all of them were gathered around the new guys, Mira and Jackal, and for some reason they were constantly laughing and apparently had to show to _everyone_ that they were having a nice time. Echo hated them for it. 

He tried to focus on his book, but it was impossible to concentrate as he heard _every_ word they said. From the fake interest in their country, Spain, to the endless stories about their time with their special force, the GEO, and the praise for whatever they had done in the past. Echo was grinding his teeth in annoyance, but he refused to get up and leave for the small SAT sleeping quarters. They would probably laugh behind his back for going to bed early. He had to endure this. 

When he looked up and glanced over at the group, he saw how they were all over him. _Jackal_. Not only the girls, but the guys as well. They all seemed to admire him, even though he had only been here for a few days and had not proved _anything_ yet. He probably sucked. He'd probably do something stupid on his first mission and put everyone in danger. He'd be one of the reasons Echo would say once again: robots do it better. That Mr Popular. He made Echo feel sick in the stomach. 

Echo didn't dwell long on that feeling, which in fact was jealousy if he were to realise he saw that Jackal was everything he wasn't. Likeable, social, good looking... But those thoughts never came to his mind. He simply detested Jackal for no particular reason at all, other than that he had bested him on their first training. 

But he didn't realise he was staring at Jackal, thinking all these mean things about him, when the Spanish man returned his gaze and gave a friendly smile. The rest of the group didn't see it, too preoccupied as they were with their interesting conversations. But Jackal looked at him, without any indication that he was thinking bad things about the Japanese operator as well. It then struck Echo that the Spaniard accepted and liked people for who they are, and for some reason he hated him even more because of that. _Why does he think he's so perfect..._

Despite himself, Echo immediately hid behind his book again with a faint blush on his cheeks. Being caught staring at any teammate was not something that happened to Echo often as he preferred to keep to himself, but being caught staring at the guy he hates the most – without any solid reason - and getting a smile that makes your heart flutter is kind of embarrassing. But Echo hated him. Or so he told himself. 

 

 

A few days later, Echo was in the workshop. As usual. Some operators spent most of their time in the gym, others at the firing range and yet others in the workshop. Echo was one of those people who preferred the smell of oil, the sound of tinkering and the friendly atmosphere of the workshop. Sure, he completed his basic training in the gym and firing range as well. He had to keep fit and had to keep his aim perfect, but he preferred to spend most hours of the day in the workshop. And there were always the same people in there; the people that Echo liked. 

Twitch, always working on that damn smart drone of hers, was probably Echo's favourite colleague. They often worked together on their drones and helped each other out. She was one of the few who understood his love for technology and robotics completely. The two operators could talk about it for hours. Now, this was not a friendship as you think it is. Their contact was purely professional, and Echo did not really see her as a friend in any way. Just a person who accepted him the way he was and shared his interests, but nothing more. Hibana often joked about Twitch as Echo's 'girlfriend', but then she would laugh: "Oh no, you push everyone away." 

Then there were Fuze and Jäger. They always worked together, quietly. They would help you out if you encountered a technical problem, loving to use their brains as they did, but most of the time they just worked together. The both of them were just as socially awkward as Echo was, so they fitted together well: they just ignored each other until they needed help or an opinion but sat working side by side in a comfortable peace. And that was fine with both parties. 

Mute usually worked on his own. He seemed to think he was too smart for the rest anyway, and just kept to himself. He's a man of few words, but from time to time he joined Echo, Twitch, Fuze and Jäger in their brainstorming for better devices and improvement on the team's defences. Echo didn't dislike him. The Brit always said exactly what he wanted to say. He was clear and liked brevity, something Echo appreciated a lot. 

Regular visitors were people like Thatcher, IQ, Kapkan, Pulse, Bandit, Valkyrie and Smoke. These operators visited the workshop roughly once or twice a week to work on their devices. Their visits were usually brief, bringing a lot of unnecessary noise to the workshop that Echo hated. He always sighed in relief once they had left again. No, Echo didn't mind sharing his last resort, the workshop, with Fuze, Twitch, Jäger and Mute. When the others came, he always felt like his peace and quiet was disturbed. Their presence annoyed him, but he always tried to ignore them. 

Now all seemed peaceful: Mute was submerged in working on his jammers, Fuze and Jäger sat shoulder against shoulder as they looked at Jäger's recent drawings and Twitch sat opposite of Echo, quietly working on her shock drone. Echo himself had his new robotics book in front of him, and he read as he improved his Yokai. All four operators were in full concentration when the door burst open and a laughing Valkyrie came in. 

Usually she was a lot more collected, so Echo looked up in annoyance to see what was up with her. A few benches away Mute cursed under his breath, having been spooked by the sudden intrusion and messed up the wiring on his jammer. He threw a hateful glance at Valkyrie, who was looking behind her as she said: 

"The workshop is right _here_! You can come here whenever you want and work on your device. I can't believe no one has showed you this place yet, not even one of these nerds..." She said as she threw a playful yet stern glance around the room. 

Jackal entered behind her, obviously being dragged along but smiling politely nonetheless. How it was possible, Echo didn't know, but their eyes locked immediately. The smile on Jackal's face turned more sincere when he looked at Echo, and he gave the Japanese man a nod. Echo must have looked like a fish out of the water; his mouth opening and closing and his eyes widening. He immediately returned to his work, but he could feel Jackal's eyes on him still. 

"They're always here, but don't let that put you off." Valkyrie nodded in the direction of the five operators sitting at their respective benches. "If you like, we can maybe go together some time." She beamed at the Spaniard. 

"Oh, yeah, possibly." Jackal answered politely as he looked around the rest of the room. Twitch greeted him, Mute didn't look up again as he was furious he had been disturbed and Fuze and Jäger just gave him a nod. Echo kept his eyes on his book, but he didn't read any words. He suddenly felt a little hot as he wished Jackal and Valkyrie would just leave already. 

They weren't. They weren't leaving. _God_ , why weren't they leaving? 

"You coming?" 

Apparently, Jackal was lingering. 

"Or... Would you like to stay here now?" Valkyrie sounded quite surprised. 

"You have a wonderful workshop here. The one I was used to back in Spain was more like a shed. If you don't mind, I'd like to have a look around. Is that okay?" Jackal asked. 

"Y-yeah... I mean, sure." Valkyrie stuttered in disbelief. “I’ll be down in the gym if you need me. See you later, then.” 

The American woman left quickly, slamming the door shut behind her. Jackal started to walk around slowly, taking in his surroundings and the tools the workshop provided as if he was in a museum. After some time, Twitch shuffled a bit and got up, smiling gently at Echo as she walked past him. She joined Jackal and quietly started to explain how they worked here and what they did. The other guys seemed glad she had volunteered to show the new guy around the workshop, as they were all too concentrated on their work to leave it. 

Still, Mute seemed to have enough of being disturbed as he got up, packed his stuff and left angrily. Echo watched him go, wondering if he could just leave like that too. But no, apparently he was forced to stay as Jackal now moved over to him. 

“Hi.” Jackal beamed at him, much like most of the female ops always beamed at the Spaniard. Echo’s eyes darted up from his book, at Jackal's friendly face, then at Twitch who quietly left the two men alone with a smile, then back at Jackal. 

“Hi.” Echo said reluctantly. He closed his book as if to hide what he had been reading (not that he had been able to read anything in Jackal's presence anyway), but it only made Jackal look at the book. 

“Interesting book you’ve got there, I saw you read it before. Is it the latest edition?” Jackal said as he nodded at the brand new book. 

Echo stared at his book. How did he know...? Unless he was truly interested... But he couldn’t be. No, Jackal was one of them, the popular ones. He wasn’t like him. “Yeah, I pre-ordered it.” He replied simply. 

“Look, you're not still mad about that training the other day, right?” Jackal asked worriedly. 

Echo snorted. “Of course not. That would be childish.” _(Of course he was, he was THAT childish.)_

“Right.” Jackal replied, not entirely convinced. "Well, I guess I better be going... Valkyrie-" 

"Yes you better." Echo replied bluntly before Jackal could even finish his sentence. He had said it, but he didn't dare look at the Spaniard. Instead, he tried to continue working on his Yokai. It wasn't unlike him to be rude, but it was strange to him that he almost instantly regretted doing it now. What's wrong with him? Didn't he hate Jackal? 

If he had been looking at the Spaniard in front of him, he'd seen the pained expression on the man's face, which was easily covered up with his polite smile. Nobody had seen it. 

"Alright, see you around Echo." Jackal said softly, throwing another smile at the Japanese man without the latter seeing it. With that, Jackal left the workshop. 

Finally, some peace and quiet again. Echo opened his book again, trying to find the right page. Now if he could work for another few hours, he could maybe finish this... 

"That was extremely rude." Twitch spoke up. 

Echo looked up, surprised to hear her talking like that, when he realised she was glaring at him, her arms folded. "What?" Echo asked stupidly. 

"How could you just send him away like that! He's interested in what you do here, haven't you noticed? He's just trying to be friendly!" Twitch exclaimed. Fuze and Jäger were quietly watching the scene unfold before them while they didn't participate. 

"Why can't he just do that somewhere else?" Echo shrugged. 

"Somewhere else? Have you ever thought he's trying to be nice _just to you_?" Twitch looked at him sternly. 

"Why? He's nice to everyone. What does it even mean if he's nice to everyone? Should I feel special now?" Echo rolled his eyes. 

"No, you don't understand, you numbskull." Twitch laughed. "People are nice to _him_. He's friendly towards them out of politeness, but you're the only one he approaches. Because you don't approach him." 

Echo wanted to fight that statement, but found he lacked the arguments. It was true he always saw people surrounding Jackal, and never Jackal approaching other people. Apart from him just now. Why? 

"Gotcha." Twitch winked at the Japanese operator when she noticed he was too dumbfounded to answer. She gathered her stuff and left with a smug smile. Echo looked over at Fuze and Jäger, who had been listening to the whole conversation and now just shrugged. 

"Girls." They mumbled, and returned to their work. Echo shook his head. Twitch was just seeing things. A popular guy like Jackal wouldn't be interested in getting to know someone like him. 


	2. Chapter 2

Echo had been avoiding Jackal for days. Twitch had made him feel uneasy to be around or even near to the Spaniard, so whenever he saw him, he tried his best to get away as quickly as he could. The thing was, Jackal was actively looking for him. Wherever he went, no matter if he was surrounded by others or alone, he would seek Echo. He would try to make eye contact, say hi, smile at him or even start a conversation. Half of the time Echo succeeded in avoiding him, either by turning a corner or suddenly being very interested in whatever was next to him, on the side where Jackal was NOT. The other times he had to endure Jackal asking him how he was, asking if he could finally see his drone some time or just having small talk with the Spaniard. What did this guy _want_? 

One night Echo was working late in the workshop. Late late. It was two in the morning, but Echo was so immersed in his drone that he had lost track of time. Of course he knew it was way too late, but he rather spent his time on his precious Yokai than sleeping. Pff. Sleeping. What a waste of time. 

The workshop was quiet and abandoned. Everybody was asleep, even Fuze and Jäger, who also liked to stay here until the late hours. Echo hadn't bothered to turn on any light once it had gotten dark, so all light he got was from his bright desk lamp. And there he sat, his nose in his book and his tired eyes straining to focus on his Yokai. Okay, maybe he was too tired for this. 

The door opened. The sound of it startled Echo; he dropped his tools and he snapped his neck to look at who entered. Ouch, that hurt. His muscles were stiff. He blinked a few times to see who was there in the dark. The person came closer when Echo recognised him, and really, he should have known who it was. 

Not Hibana telling him to go to bed. Not Thatcher complaining he shouldn't be working anymore. Not even Six. 

It was Jackal. 

"What are you doing here." Echo's voice rasped as he hadn't used it for a long time. He was tired. He was annoyed the Spaniard had found him. In the middle of the night. Why did he disturb him? Ugh. 

"Could ask you the same." Jackal smiled tiredly as he sat down. 

Echo rolled his eyes, and sincerely wondered what he should do now. He just wanted to work on his Yokai. He didn't want anyone to bother him right now. Was Jackal seriously going to watch him work now? 

"Are you scared of me?" Jackal then asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. 

Echo just snorted as he tried to look like he was busy. 

"You avoid me." Jackal stated. 

"Well, you have finally found me. Congratulations." Echo said, annoyed. It would take him too much effort to give a fake applause. 

"Why are you annoyed by me?" Jackal then asked innocently. Echo wanted to face palm. 

"Why do you follow me around?" Echo retorted instead of answering Jackal's question. There, take that. 

"I'm interested in you." Jackal smiled. 

If Echo could get anymore uncomfortable now, he would probably jump right out of his own skin. What the actual fuck. Change subject, quick, before this gets weird. "What are you doing up anyway." Echo sighed as he glared at the man next to him. He still sat facing his desk, looking at Jackal sideways, while the Spaniard was turned towards him and had his full concentration on the Japanese operator. 

Jackal sighed and shrugged. The question seemed to have discouraged him. He seemed sad and hopeless for some reason, and stared into the distance for a while. Finally, when Echo thought he would never reply, Jackal spoke up: "Insomnia." 

Echo nodded slowly. That sucked. For a second Echo admired the Spaniard for managing to live a life so thrilled and tense as they did, but that feeling wavered quickly. No, he still hated Jackal. "So you got issues." Okay, that was a bit mean maybe. 

Turning his head slowly, Jackal looked at the younger male next to him again. He seemed to be thinking, an exhausted smile on his face. "And you've got them too." Jackal then retorted smartly. 

"Me? Issues? What are you talking about." Echo was starting to get angry. What was this man thinking? 

"Sitting here all day, only ever thinking about your drone? Until the middle of the night? I don't think that's very healthy either, _amigo_." Jackal laughed. "We're even." 

Echo wanted to get angry, wanted to tell this fucker to keep his mouth shut and not meddle in his life, when he realised Jackal was kind of right. If he said Jackal had issues, he certainly had them too. But why was that so easy to accept? Because Jackal didn't judge him for it, like all the others did. Jackal didn't dislike him for having more interest in robots than humans. It _attracted_ Jackal. 

What? 

Echo blushed immediately and looked away. 

"Will you tell me about your drone?" Jackal then asked in all earnest, and Echo found he couldn't turn him away. He looked at the Spaniard a while, wondering why he was so interested. Echo couldn't find the reason, so, stuttering and muttering, he slowly started explaining Jackal how his Yokai worked. 

There they sat, both exhausted, blood-shot eyes, but an underlying understanding between them. Jackal was truly interested in what Echo told him, which confused the Japanese but he continued nonetheless. And with every word, his confidence grew. Jackal wasn't the guy he thought he was. Could he be the first human Echo ever liked? 

 

 

The days continued like this. Every day, Jackal still surprised Echo with his friendly smile, true interest and comfortable company. The others kept trying to steal Jackal away from Echo, but somehow the Spaniard always ended back up in the company of Echo. Really, they were just as confused as Echo was about the developing friendship. 

Although, could it be called friendship? Echo was like an ocean; pushing Jackal out when he was getting scared of what they were becoming, and pulling him back in when he realised he needed him. Not only because Jackal defended him with a smile and a laugh when the others were complaining he was too occupied by his drone again during a mission. Not only because Jackal spent time with him in the workshop. It was because Echo finally felt someone understood him, someone who was genuinely interested in him, someone who accepted him for who he was. 

But did Echo show that to Jackal? Did he tell him? Of course not. He was still as blunt and rude as ever. Jackal was chasing him, but Echo wasn’t accepting him. 

He didn’t actually know if it was because he didn’t want to, or didn’t dare to, or if it had a completely different reason. Echo was scared of what he was feeling. He was still blunt to the Spanish operator, like he was to anyone, and he knew for a fact that his behaviour wasn't improving their friendship. So once he realised that, he felt bad and tried to fix things again, being friendly and understanding towards Jackal. 

But there was another problem. Jackal was so friendly to him, but he didn’t seem to understand the concept of personal space Echo so loved. Whether that was a cultural thing or Jackal was doing it on purpose, Echo didn’t know. But the proximity of his broad, tall body was making Echo feel uncomfortable. When Jackal got so close to him in the workshop, Echo always felt like he was choking and suffocating, his cheeks turning red and his head dizzy. 

Still Echo didn’t feel violated in any way. Which was what scared him. He felt safe when Jackal was near him. Echo could often be seen leaning against a wall when he talked to Jackal while the Spaniard towered over him, his arm resting against the wall above Echo’s head confidently. It looked intimidating and to the other ops it looked a LOT like Jackal was flirting with the smaller Japanese operator. Echo’s face was flushed and he looked highly uncomfortable while the Spaniard looked smug and completely in his element. But apparently that’s how Jackal held conversations, Echo guessed. 

Echo had only been romantically involved with another person once, a lady, and that hadn't end well. After that relationship, Echo had decided love wasn't for him and that he should just concentrate on his drones. Now he didn’t even dare think of love again, especially if Jackal was involved. First of all, love only hurts. And second... He couldn’t be gay... right? 

 

 

The next weeks proved that Echo was wrong. He saw Twitch and Hibana giggling in the corridor when he walked down to the gym, and when they saw him, they said: 

“Jackal is looking for you, Echo!” 

“Going to ‘work out’ together?” 

The fact that Echo turned bright red and stormed off immediately, made the women only laugh even louder. They had seen what was going on way before Echo did. 

Jackal was on his mind all day long; even when he tried to go to sleep. His handsome features, attractive Spanish voice, fit figure, nice smile and extreme friendliness would turn any man gay, right? Echo was uncomfortable about the way he was thinking about his colleague, but if he had been any better at reading body language and facial expressions, he would have known long before that Jackal was _so_ into him. 

The Spaniard absolutely adored the smaller man. How he could get lost in his drone – whether that was in the workshop or during a mission – and how smart he was, how devoted to and fascinated by technology. The man was overzealous, and Jackal loved it. Sure, Echo had issues, but he had them too. He didn't judge Echo for his personality, and that was what seemed to interest the Japanese male. 

The memory of Echo's surprised face during their first training together was still fresh in his mind. Those deep, dark eyes, his messy black hair, his soft skin... He had been so shocked Jackal had beaten his drone. And Jackal had been attracted to him immediately. 

 

 

It was one of those nights again that Jackal and Echo sat alone in the workshop late at night. Jackal couldn't sleep due to his insomnia, and Echo didn't want to sleep due to his Yokai. As always, they sat side by side working on their devices in peace. Jackal had explained how his Eyenox worked, a pretty smart piece of tech, which had raised Echo's interest in the Spaniard more. Not that he showed that, of course. 

Echo was so concentrated on his work that he didn't realise Jackal was talking to him. 

"… Hey, are you listening?" Finally Jackal's voice got through to the Japanese man. 

"Hmm?" Echo blinked once to get back to reality; he had been staring so long at his Yokai that his eyes hurt. He glanced over at Jackal, who sat observing him with a faint smile on his tired face. "What?" 

"Nothing." Jackal chuckled. "You're a funny guy, you know that?" 

"Why do you spend time with me then?" Echo retorted stoically. 

The Spaniard just smiled. "I just said you're a funny guy, I didn't say I disliked you for it." 

Echo hummed. "Good. Because if you judged me, you know I would judge you too." 

Jackal laughed at that. As always, he amazed the Japanese operator by seeing through Echo's blunt words and not taking any notice of his hostility. "I know." 

Nodding slowly, Echo wasn't exactly sure what to think of that answer. Jackal confused him so much. Looking at the older operator next to him, Echo saw how his smile then softened and his eyes turned more serious. Suddenly, Echo was starting to feel hot again. Oh god, this was one of those moments Jackal would invade his personal space with his handsomeness, and all Echo could do was just sit there and wait for it to pass. But did he really want it to pass? 

"You should never be ashamed of who you are, though. You're a genius Echo, and some of the others here still need to realise what you're worth. Don't feel bad about it." Jackal said softly. 

"Right, noted." Echo tried to sound indifferent, more focused on not blushing rather than the heart-felt conversation Jackal was trying to have. Their legs touched softly, Jackal put his warm hand on Echo's shoulder reassuringly and, to Echo's standards, he was _way_ too close. 

Jackal smiled – not that Echo could see that, because he was staring at their touching legs with wide eyes – when he softly added: " _Te amo_ , Echo." 

Confusion on Echo's face. That wasn't English, was it? Suddenly, the hand on his shoulder gently grabbed his chin and pulled his face towards Jackal. That was when Echo couldn't stop the flush from reaching his cheeks anymore. His face turned bright red as he looked into the handsome tanned face of the Spaniard, who smiled warmly. What the _actual fuck_ was happening. 

The closeness again made Echo feel dizzy and choked. He stared at Jackal with his eyes wide open and his lips slightly apart, sitting as still as a statue. He didn't dare lean in or add to that closeness, in denial as he was about how he felt about Jackal. His heart pounded in his throat as Jackal's smile turned into a charming smirk and the Spaniard closed the distance between them. He rested his forehead on Echo's, staring into his eyes as he wrapped his other arm around the smaller man's waist. Echo thought he couldn't breathe for real. 

"Te amo." Jackal whispered again, his hot breath on Echo's lips as fiery brown eyes looked at the Japanese operator. Echo's sluggish train of thought had a hard time registering the words while he fought the desire to close that last distance between their lips. Jackal had put him under a spell. He didn't like Jackal. No. He was totally capable of resisting his rich brown eyes, his strong jawline that probably felt wonderful to kiss, his full pink lips that looked so lick-able, his hardened, tanned skin that looked so soft to touch. Yeah, Echo could totally resist that. 

Echo bit his lip. He didn't want the older man in front of him. Nah-ah. He didn't need him. But those eyes that never left his made it hard to think. _Te amo_? Echo's brains worked their best to find the translation. _Doesn't it mean I Love You?_

The distance between their lips was closed. Echo never knew if he did it himself or if Jackal had initiated the kiss; all he knew was that within a matter of seconds he was making out with the Spaniard. Jackal's lips were as lustful as his own as they tasted each other, so much pent-up frustration Echo didn't even know he had. One warm hand stroked his side as the other moved to his long black hair. Echo leaned into its touch, loving how Jackal played with his hair more than he dared to admit. 

Echo groaned softly as Jackal pulled him closer to deepen the kiss, their tongues lapping at each other as they started to get out of breath. Yet they continued to chase the kiss, the passion, and Echo placed his hands on Jackal's broad shoulders to find his balance as he was overwhelmed by whatever was happening to him. He loved it. He loved this feeling, he loved having Jackal so close now that he didn't feel dizzy or choked anymore. 

Combing his skilled fingers through Echo's soft black hair, Jackal felt euphoric. How long hadn't he been chasing Echo for this moment? How long hadn't he been attracted to him, ever since that moment he first laid eyes on Echo? How long hadn't he tried to break through the tall wall the smaller man had built around himself? Was he finally close now? 

The answer came immediately. Echo was willing. Echo was eager. Unlike Jackal had ever seen him; not even with his Yokai. His lips were glued to Jackal's; even when they started to run out of breath they kept kissing open mouthed. Then, Echo slowly moved, positioning himself on Jackal's lap. Jackal groaned appreciatively against his lips, placing one hand on his lower back to support him while his other kept stroking Echo's now messy hair. 

Echo spread his legs around Jackal's waist, getting his body flush against the Spaniard's. He didn't know why he did it, but it felt right and he needed it. Their shared body heat drove them wild, gently grinding against one another. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity – a very, _very_ good eternity – Jackal broke the kiss, much to Echo's disappointment. 

"We should move this back to my place." Jackal said, slightly out of breath and smirking widely at the smaller man on his lap. 

"I didn't mean to-" Echo stammered, suddenly feeling embarrassed of letting himself go like that. Hadn't he just said he didn't like Jackal? Then why had he climbed on his lap like an attention-starved puppy? 

"Shhh. I'm not leaving here without you." Jackal said as he took Echo's hand. Echo swallowed as they got up and Jackal led him out of the workshop, completely forgetting to turn off the lights. Echo's legs felt like jelly as he followed Jackal through the corridors, which suddenly seemed a lot longer than usual. He walked a little uncomfortably due to the growing boner in his trousers, and silently wondered what they would do. How long had he known he was gay anyway? Was he ready for this? But when he stared at the tall, confident man in front of him, he knew this was _exactly_ what he wanted and needed, as weird as it may seem. Echo felt a sudden sexual frustration he had never felt before, but which had obviously always been there at the times Jackal had invaded his personal space. God, why had he never accepted Jackal before? Because he had bested him during their first training? Pfff. How _childish_. 

 

 

He lay on Jackal's bed, which was surprisingly soft compared to his own bed here at Hereford Base. To add to the romantic feeling, only the bedside table light was on; illuminating the room barely but nicely. Jackal's room was quite large as he slept on his own due to his insomnia, for which both men were grateful for once. Not that the size of it mattered; they really only needed this bed. 

He was naked; their clothes had been discarded a few minutes ago right at the door when they had entered, kissing feverishly once again. Then they had ended up on the soft bed, Echo feeling surprisingly comfortable with being naked around the Spaniard. Now he lay on his bed on his back, sporting a proud erection. Above him was the handsome face of Jackal, who looked at him softly as his warm hands slowly ventured over Echo's body. The Spaniard seemed to enjoy mapping out Echo's body with his fingertips, slowly and softly, which relaxed Echo completely. 

Jackal had told him beforehand to tell him when he did something that made him feel uncomfortable, but Echo knew that for some reason Jackal would be the only one he would trust to do this with. Besides, Jackal didn't do anything crazy. He just slowly felt Echo's body, starting from the soft skin on his neck, moving down to his sensitive nipples and on to his strong abdomen. Jackal's touch was soft yet not tingly, stimulating the hot feeling in Echo's lower belly yet not enough to make him get hard too fast. Jackal's eyes moved along with his hands, as if to memorise every inch of Echo's skin. 

And as Jackal was allowed to stare, Echo figured he was as well. There was a faint blush on Jackal's cheeks, a glimmer in his eyes as if he was looking at something he adored and treasured a lot and his lips slightly apart as he panted softly. Echo could have stared at his strong neck and prominent collar bones forever, if he hadn't been so distracted by the thick muscles that followed. Jackal was definitely a guy who preferred to spend more time in the gym than in the workshop, like Echo, and the results showed. His body was perfect; toned, tanned and ripped in just the right places. A pink scar here and there were reminders that Echo was staring at a man who had endured a lot, with a few years more experience than he. Jackal's body was definitely a lust for the eyes. Even his arms were a turn-on; so strong and yet soft; probably capable of lifting him up against a wall next time they would- 

Not yet, Echo, not yet; he had to tell himself as his eyes wandered on. 

Because they had yet to find the best part. Slowly, Echo let his dark eyes follow the trail of soft hairs leading down to Jackal's manhood. The moment his eyes were captured by Jackal's member – thick, average-sized and _erect_ \- Jackal seemed to have found his as well. Echo gasped – both at the sight and at Jackal's touches – when the Spaniard wrapped his warm hand around Echo's own member. 

Echo immediately thrust into the sudden touch, welcoming it and relishing in the feeling of it. Jackal chuckled. "Were you enjoying the sight? I'm sure I was." He said with a smirk as his eyes roved over Echo's body once more. The Japanese operator could only moan in response; the mere feeling of Jackal holding his dick feeling way better than anything he has ever experienced. Jackal seemed to understand Echo was needy, so he didn't say anything anymore and instead started to stroke. 

The Spaniard drank in any delicious sound Echo made as he slowly moved his hand over the length, feeling his own dick throb. The way Echo thrusted into his hand, kept his eyes tightly shut and tried to muffle his own moans told Jackal the smaller man hadn't pleasured himself or been pleasured in a long time. He smirked a little when he realised he'd have to hurry up to the next step. 

Jackal lifted one of Echo's legs over his shoulder with ease. Echo's eyes snapped open in surprise, but his mind was too far gone to protest. Especially when Jackal started to fondle his butt did Echo close his eyes again to fully enjoy everything he was feeling. The taller man obviously knew what he was doing; switching between teasing Echo's hole, squeezing his ass and merely grabbing it. And all the while he kept working on Echo's dick, pumping it softly to keep Echo from cumming too soon. 

Using Echo's own precum as lube, Jackal then finally inserted one finger inside Echo. The latter squirmed and moaned uncomfortably for the first seconds while he tried to adjust to Jackal's finger. He panted hard as Jackal fingered and stroked him in perfect balance; the intruding finger not feeling so painful while Jackal rubbed his thumb over the head of his dick and sending sparks of pleasure down Echo's spine. 

Soon a second finger was added, making Echo cry out in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Jackal's hand worked faster as he started to scissor Echo's hole, preparing him for what was about to come. Echo could do nothing but lie there, moaning and panting as Jackal worked his wonderful magic on him. He only half realised when the Spaniard lifted his other leg over his shoulder as well and positioned his own pulsing dick at Echo's entrance. Through lidded eyes Echo looked at him, completely overtaken by pleasure. 

Carefully timed, Jackal took his fingers out and pushed his leaking cock inside Echo at the exact moment he gave one last powerful stroke that pushed Echo right over the edge. The smaller man came all over his hand and his own stomach. Echo groaned loudly, a sound Jackal never thought he would hear - dripping with lust and want – and it turned the Spaniard on so much that he had to steady himself with his dick buried deep inside Echo. He panted hard, torn between wanting to thrust madly while he chased his orgasm, and taking it slow for Echo's sake. 

But, not wanting to hurt the smaller man underneath him, Jackal waited for the heated moment to pass and then started trusting; his long and slow movements drawing groans out of Echo that had him trembling with want. The Japanese operator was so tempting and attractive, it took all of Jackal's willpower to not give in to his needs and fuck Echo until he couldn't walk anymore. And so, Jackal's thrusts were strong and forceful, yet gentle and slow, and he slowly started to pick up his space. 

Underneath him, Echo was a complete mess. His orgasm had been the best in his whole life and the dick that had been inserted immediately after had made him see stars. Jackal knew exactly what he was doing, and Echo loved every second of it. He no longer held back his moans as he enjoyed hearing Jackal's low growls as well; the hungry hunter. Echo had dug his fingers into the mattress to deal with the force of Jackal's wonderful thrusts, so enjoyable yet new to him. 

Jackal was now thrusting into him at a steady pace, his dick hitting Echo's prostate on various occasions, making the latter gasp and groan. The force of his thrusts shook the bed and Echo himself, but he found he thoroughly enjoyed being pounded into. His mind was too far gone to ponder over the fact he had hated Jackal only a few months ago, and now the Spaniard was slowly fucking him sore. Funny it was, how wrong he had been about Jackal on their first encounter. From now on, Echo would know better than to prejudge people. Especially people that could fuck him like this. 

Jackal started to groan louder and louder yet his pace didn't falter, and after a short while came inside Echo with a loud moan. His whole being tensed as the force of his orgasm hit him. With his eyes closed, Jackal simply sat on his knees trying to regain his breath. It was a beautiful sight to Echo, who could feel his thick dick pulsing inside of him. Right then and there, he silently hoped he would get to see it again. Jackal was the definition of the word perfection. 

Once Jackal had come back to his senses, he gave Echo a tired smile and gently lifted his legs off his shoulders. When his bum hit the soft mattress, Echo winced. He felt sorer than after one of Thatcher's toughest trainings. He immediately laid on his side to relief the pain and shuddered. He only just now realised what they had done, and suddenly felt weird about it. Would this be a one-night stand? Would Jackal just kick him out now? Behind him, he heard the Spaniard unwrapping the condom he had worn – Echo couldn't even remember when he had put it on – and was suddenly grateful for the fact that his ass was _only_ sore, and didn't leak cum as well. 

Then the bed covers were lifted over him, and for a second Echo held his breath as he waited for what would happen. Maybe Jackal would leave him in his bed? Deep inside, Echo felt sad about that idea. But no such thing happened. Jackal laid himself down behind Echo, wrapping his strong arms around the smaller man's body. He tangled his legs with Echo's, kissed his neck softly and cleaned Echo’s chest with a tissue. Echo felt extremely comfortable with the bigger warm body against his back. 

"Are you okay?" Jackal whispered from behind him. 

"Yeah." Echo simply said, and quickly realised that a simple 'yeah' wasn't really enough to cover the amazing sex they just had. Not wanting to hurt Jackal's feelings at a moment like this, he quickly thought of something else to say in panic. "I... I love you too." Echo then said, and it seemed like the right thing to say. Jackal had confessed to him earlier in the workshop, and now finally came his answer. 

Jackal stopped kissing his neck for a short moment, before he laughed softly. He pulled Echo closer to him and held him in his arms. He rested his lips on Echo's neck. "Please stay the night." 

"I'd love to." Echo said automatically, but he didn't regret it. He felt he was in the right place, here in Jackal's arms. 

 

 

And Jackal stayed by his side. Sure, the girls were all highly disappointed once the news of the new couple got around the base, but they then started to have more respect for Echo and his love for his drone. Echo himself tried to be less blunt to others, which improved the atmosphere at the base and during mission a lot. He worked out with Jackal, who made sure he wouldn't just sit with his drone all the time and who helped him to stay fit. At other times they sat in the workshop, working on their respective gadgets. Mute and Fuze didn't notice a thing, Twitch kept glancing at them with a smile on her face, happy the anti-social Echo finally got out of his shell, while Jäger now stared at the new couple and then at Fuze from time to time, a longing look on his face. 

But that is a different story.

**Author's Note:**

> Music inspiration (yes I always have one or two songs):  
> [Julia Michaels - Issues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5EN5BtmeGk)  
> [Niall Horan - Slow Hands](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBmNcLBaPUE)
> 
> c:


End file.
